2014 National Convening Skills Presenations Portland Plan | Page 64
THE PORTLAND PLAN
Economic Prosperity and Affordability
Element 4
Growing Employment Districts
Overcome growth constraints and strengthen location advantages
to remain Oregon’s largest job center.
Portland’s specialized, urban-scale business districts are a statewide economic
engine, a source of local economic resilience and a job base for our diverse
population. Portland’s central city, freight-oriented industrial areas (such as
the harbor and airport districts), large hospital and college campuses, and
other commercial centers and corridors make up a varied urban economy.
Portland’s central city is the region’s center for high-density office businesses,
universities and urban industry and has outperformed the national norm.
When compared to peer cities such as Denver, Austin and Charlotte, our
central city excels. Nationally, central cities lost out to suburbs or to other
regions. Portland’s central city, on the other hand, has benefited from an
emphasis on access, especially transit, and livability for residents, workers
and visitors. In particular, the River District and the Central Eastside have
generated high rates of job growth and innovative, small business growth.
Downtown Portland has 49 percent of the multi-tenant office space in
the region (2010). On average, eight peer cities have a 27 percent share
of the multi-tenant office space in their respective regions.
In the 2000–08 business cycle, the Central City’s average annual job
growth rate of 0.7 percent exceeded the national average of 0.5 percent.
Industry has grown in the Portland region over recent decades in contrast to
national trends. Portland remains a preferred industrial location in the region,
in part due to the multimodal freight infrastructure of Portland Harbor, the
Columbia Corridor and industrial sanctuary zoning. However, continued
industrial growth in Portland faces challenges similar to other U.S. cities.
Guiding Policies
Provide land supply and
development capacity to meet
P-19 job growth targets, and improve
the cost competitiveness of
redevelopment and brownfields.
Institute a means to consider
economic as well as environmental
P-20 and social metrics in making land
use, program and investment
decisions. Look for ways to improve
social equity as part of economic
development actions.
Consider the impact of
regulations and fee structures on
P-21 competitiveness.
Provide capacity for Portland’s
campus institutions to grow and to
P-22 remain competitive.
Better link freight transportation and
other quality, reliable infrastructure
P-23 investments with economic health
and job growth opportunities in
employment districts.
Portland’s land supply is largely fixed. Other than West Hayden Island,
Portland has virtually no opportunity to add land through annexation.
Shortfalls have been identified in the 25-year development capacity to
meet forecast job growth in Portland’s industrial districts and institutional
campuses. The land we do have often faces development constraints. These
sites, called brownfields, can be costly to redevelop due to higher cleanup
costs and perceived risks compared to undeveloped suburban sites. The
Portland Harbor Superfund Site is one of the city’s and r egion’s largest
brownfield problems. The large potential cleanup liability poses a threat to
harbor businesses and creates a barrier to reuse of vacant harbor sites. (Site
contamination is a major constraint.) There are important tradeoffs that have
to be addressed where industrial sites are located in areas that are also critical
to watershed health.
We must find ways to keep urban sites competitive for redevelopment. Given
the unique assets like the harbor and airport and role of Portland’s industrial
lands, increasing the support for development of these sites should be a
regional priority. There is promise in innovative approaches to site design that
improve development potential, environmental health and neighborhood
livability and increase the number of jobs realized per acre. Renovation and
reuse of older buildings, especially in the Central City, also can play a role.
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April 2012 | www.pdxplan.com